Chapter 587 Large-Scale Military Exercise Please Subscribe
Early September 1941.
The 104th Brigade frequently mobilized troops from southern Hebei. At least 2,000 Japanese soldiers gathered in the barracks in Handan, and at the same time, more than 4,000 soldiers from the First Division of the Emperor's Associated Army in Handan came to join them.
Outside Handan City, the sound of training every day is loud and the sound of gunfire is continuous. Anyone who looks at it will think that an elite force is stationed here.
Although the main force of the 104th Brigade had been completely wiped out by the Tainan Military Region before, it was subsequently rebuilt based on the regiment under Terauchi Isamu, with the Osaka Division officers transferred from the front line as the backbone, and supplemented with reserve troops from Ryukyu.
In fact, the combat effectiveness of the 104th Brigade is not weak. Most of Terauchi's regiments are elite veterans. Although there have been no major battles in the past year, daily training has not slackened.
The majority of Osaka Division officers were non-commissioned officers and officers, and their tactical literacy was extremely high.
Although the recruits from Ryukyu lacked combat experience, their daily training was not slack when they were in Ryukyu, and most of them were graduates of the sergeant academy.
The 104th Brigade is not comparable to those Class A divisions at the beginning of the war, but its combat effectiveness is at the forefront among the Class B divisions. It is appropriate to describe the 104th Brigade as having well-equipped soldiers and food.
It's just that under Isamu Terauchi, there is no place to use them. Of course, the soldiers of the 104th Brigade also enjoy this comfortable environment. It can be said that the two achieve mutual success.
In the conference room.
Terauchi Isamu is in the first place, Secret Service Chief Kuroto Norizo is on the right, followed by Gendarmerie Captain Watanabe.
On the left are Hideo Ohgi, captain of the 52nd Infantry Regiment stationed in Wu'an, and Ichiro Matsui of the 105th Infantry Regiment stationed in southern Hebei.
"Gentlemen, the North China Expeditionary Force Headquarters has issued a combat order, ordering our unit to launch combat operations against Licheng and Lucheng. This battle is related to our unit's future development plan. We must win!" The courageous voice in the temple said
He said, with a rare air of solemnity in his words.
"Hi!" The people present stood up and responded.
"Yusi!" Terauchi Isamu nodded with satisfaction, obviously very satisfied with his control over the 104th Brigade.
"Omu-kun, you are the supreme commander in this battle, and most of the additional troops are from your 52nd Regiment's officers. I believe you will be more able to command them. I hope you can send news of victory as soon as possible!"
Despite what Isamu Terauchi said, he had no intention of going to the battlefield to take command from the beginning to the end. Isamu Terauchi understood that the son of a rich man could not sit down in public.
Guns and artillery are blind on the battlefield, and a single bullet or cannonball may kill you. How could Isamu Terauchi risk his life?
"Hi, Your Excellency, Brigade Commander, please rest assured that our unit will definitely win and capture Licheng and Lucheng!" Hideo Oki changed his previous idea of coming to the rear to retire, and now it was as if he had been given a shot of blood.
Among those present, apart from Isamu Terauchi, the most excited person was Hideo Oki.
After all, Licheng and Lucheng were captured, and they would eventually be included in the defense zone of the 52nd Wing. It was Hideo Ohgi who benefited.
The combat plan was drawn up by the staff and had been issued long before the meeting. Isamu Terauchi attended the meeting just to go through a process. From an outsider's perspective, he, the brigade commander, was not just a decoration, but played a leadership role.
The combat meeting dispersed quickly, and everyone else left, except Hideo Ohki who stayed behind tacitly.
The two met secretly in Isamu Terauchi's office.
Sitting on the chair, Isamu Terauchi changed his previous serious expression and said with a smile: "Omu-kun, this battle must be realistic. Don't worry about wasting ammunition. We must let the outside world see the strength of our 104th Brigade!"
"General, please rest assured, I have experience in this area!" Hideo Ohki replied. After all, he had conducted joint military exercises with the Eighth Route Army before. Not only he, but also the soldiers under him are very experienced in this aspect.
Terauchi Isamu then gave Oki Hideo a reassurance: "I have informed the Eighth Route Army in advance that the combat plan has been sent to you. You don't need to worry about this. However, you still need to communicate with the Eighth Route Army about the detailed process.
Don’t get misunderstood!”
Although the Japanese army in Handan dispatched heavy troops, Isamu Terauchi had no intention of having a real fight with the Eighth Route Army from the beginning, and his previous performance was just a show.
On the one hand, not only was Isamu Temple involved with Zhou Weihan, but Hideo Oki and his soldiers had considerable interests involved with the Eighth Route Army in various parts of Tainan.
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Once troops are actually launched, it is not certain what will happen next. Isamu Terauchi had served in the Osaka Division, so how could he not understand this truth?
On the other hand, Isamu Terauchi was also worried that he would not be able to defeat the Eighth Route Army. After all, three Japanese generals died at the hands of Zhou Weihan. The Tainan Military Region had a real record, and the interests of both sides were involved.
"Hey, General, after I get back, I will immediately send someone to contact the Eighth Route Army!" Hideo Oki said.
"Youxi!"
The words were divided into two parts, inside Pingshun's forward command post.
The Tainan Military Region also held a meeting. In addition to Zhou Weihan, Jing Dagang, Xu Dali, and Ding Wei were all present.
After getting the sudden battle plan from Terauchi Isamu, Zhou Weihan ordered the enemy engineering department to investigate Teraui Isamu's move. However, the status of Jia Gui, Lin Zhengwu and others was still low, and the real valuable intelligence was of little use.
"...The specific situation is this. The Japanese army is currently holding a combat meeting in Handan. This operation is only known to the top brass of the Japanese army!" Xing Zhiguo made a pre-meeting briefing.
Old God Zhou Weihan picked up the teapot and took a sip of water. The others seemed less calm. Jing Dagang said: "Does this little devil want to fight for real or pretend to fight? According to the battle plan, we will dispatch
The Japanese army has at least one regiment, and there are more than 4,000 puppet troops. If this is a fake attack, there is no need for such a large-scale war!"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Although the Japanese army dispatched a lot of troops in Handan, our Eighth Route Army is also in trouble, but we are afraid that the little devils will build a plank road for us to covertly infiltrate Chencang, and we will be defeated by then.
If you do one, it will be a big joke!" Ding Wei also had doubts. This doubt was shared by everyone present, including Zhou Weihan.
In order to avoid any misunderstanding, Isamu Terauchi had already spoken with Zhou Weihan on the phone, but Zhou Weihan never believed everything the little devil said, especially when it involved future wars. How could he be careless?
Seeing everyone discussing in a flurry, Zhou Weihan patted the table gently: "Okay, the soldiers are here to cover up the water and the earth. Isamu Terauchi is a sensible person and will never do such an unwise move. The headquarters and the enemy engineering department of the military region are working
Let’s conduct a detailed investigation!”
Zhou Weihan immediately changed the subject: "But rather than a real and fake attack, I am more concerned about why the Japanese army is eager to regain control of Licheng and Lucheng, or why Terauchi Isamu is so concerned.
During the call, he stated that it was Neji Okamura who decided on this combat operation, but I could clearly feel excitement in his tone, which is so abnormal!"
"After the Japanese troops in Handan captured Licheng and Lucheng, the defense area became larger. Maybe it's because of this?" Xu Dali guessed.
After hearing this, Ding Wei immediately retorted: "Impossible, this Japanese army is not the same as the warlords fighting for territory. Our Eighth Route Army is active in the Japanese defense area, and our troops are stretched thin. I wish the defense area could be smaller!"
"Take the 104th Brigade as an example. The counties in southern Hebei to the east of Handan involve most of the troops, so that there are not many Japanese troops stationed in the three counties in Tainan!"
"Before the Kwantung Army came, Licheng and Lucheng were surrounded by our Eighth Route Army. Then why didn't Isamu Temple take the initiative to send troops to reoccupy them?"
"Perhaps we can let Mr. Li get in touch with the Japanese troops in Wu'an, and maybe we can get some clues!" Xing Zhiguo suggested.
Everyone's discussion basically reached a dead end at this point, and in the end no reason was given.
Zhou Weihan ended the topic again: "Okay, what we should do now is to mobilize before the war, whether it is the main force or local armed forces and militia!"
"Our bottom line is that the Japanese army can restore normal traffic on the Handan-Changchun Highway, but other towns and villages except the county town and the towns surrounding the county town must still be under the control of our Eighth Route Army. This is also something I discussed with Terauchi Isamu in advance!
"
"If the Japanese army is really fighting, then there is no need to be polite. If it is just a show, then it should be a training exercise for the local armed forces and militia forces!"
"This battle mainly involves your first division, Ding Wei. The three regiments in your first division must have specific backup plans!" Zhou Weihan instructed.
"Yes!" Ding Wei stood up and responded.
After the Changzhi War, in view of Ding Wei's performance, the leadership of the Tainan Military Region passed a meeting and unanimously decided to incorporate the Shexian County cadre regiment into the Tainan First Division.
Therefore, Ding Wei can now command three regiments, namely the 279th Regiment, the First Division Basic Regiment, and the Shexian Basic Regiment.
After the meeting, Zhou Weihan asked Ding Wei to take away four mountain cannons and six Type 92 infantry cannons.
...
The time has come to September 4th.
For several days, the Eighth Route Army continued to conduct investigations into this sudden Japanese combat operation, and Li Daben even personally met with Wu An and Oki Hideo.
Through various intelligence, the Japanese and puppet troops temporarily gathered in Wu'an did not differ in number from the combat plan.
However, Mr. Li only confirmed that the Japanese army just wanted to conduct a military exercise to show all the forces. Terauchi Isamu's true intention was not revealed by Oki Hideo, but he only said that it was an order from the North China Expeditionary Force Headquarters.
On the same day, many Japanese and puppet troops set out from Wu'an and arrived at Dongyangguan, a subordinate town of Shexian County. At this time, the basic regiment of Shexian County was transferred to Licheng.
Li Da's fifth regiment was concentrated in strategic locations in Wu'an County. Once the Japanese army moved the troops, the fifth regiment could capture Wu'an, where the Japanese army was weak, and cut off the Japanese army's retreat. The same was true for the 29th regiment in Wuyi.
According to the procedures agreed in advance, the Shexian County Brigade and several district squadrons, together with more than 600 capable troops, were ambushed on the predetermined hilltop.
The militiamen waited for a long time, and then the main force of the basic regiment was arranged to act as a reserve force.
The two sides launched a fierce "fight". On the Eighth Route Army's side, gunfire was sparse. On the contrary, the Japanese side's guns and artillery fired in unison, and light and heavy machine guns continued to pour out firepower on the open space in front of the position. Two Type 92 infantry fighting with the army.
The cannon fired wildly at an uninhabited mountain forest.
The rest of the Japanese and puppet troops holding rifles were in groups of three or five, with their muzzles pointing toward the sky and constantly pulling the triggers.
As long as they are not present on the battlefield, anyone who hears this sound will think that this is a fierce battle.
"Damn, you little devils are really ruining things! If only these bullets were given to us!" Shen Fang, the leader of the basic regiment, cursed.
"Hey, it's not impossible! I remember the previous military exercise. Commander Li of the Fifth Regiment seemed to get along well with the commander of the Little Japs, and they finally made a deal. Do you remember it?"
Dai Zhiying, political commissar of the Shexian County Cadre Corps, said.
How could Shen Fang not remember that he also led his troops to participate in the war at that time, and the basic regiment was still the main force in training troops, which Shen Fang had envied for a long time.
"Hey, Captain Li doesn't have the ability to deal with the little devils. As soon as I see the little devils, I want to kill them and do business with them?" Shen Fang said.
Seeing Shen Fang like this, Dai Zhiying was speechless.
As the Japanese troops advanced on the Handan-Changchang Highway, small units were left at various strongholds on the original highway. At the same time, they extended from the highway to the hinterland to engage in battle with the Eighth Route Army.
"Sir, the leading troops have arrived at Licheng County and are communicating with the local imperial army!" a Japanese telegraph operator reported.
"Yusi, things are going very smoothly!" Hideo Oki heard this and looked at the time. It was almost three o'clock in the afternoon.
"Sir, at least the general force is left behind to fight the Eighth Route Army, or to garrison at strongholds along the way. The force is too spread out!" the adjutant on the side reminded.
"Yes!" Hideo Oki nodded. The Japanese army was also worried that the Eighth Route Army would suddenly change its mind and carry out a surprise attack because of its lack of martial ethics.
"It is true that the speed cannot be too fast. Tell the soldiers to take a rest and slow down the march! We will camp in Licheng today and launch an offensive on Lucheng tomorrow. At the same time, we will inform the leading troops not to let the local imperial troops leave the city.
no!"
"In addition, notify the rear troops that the troops fighting the Eighth Route Army can withdraw from the battle and come to join the main force!"
"Hi!" the adjutant on the side responded.
When the two sides were fighting, although Zhou Weihan was not commanding on the front line, the situation on the front line was constantly summarized to the headquarters through telegrams.
The staff office synthesized the situation and reported it to Zhou Weihan.
"Old Xing, you saw that the little devil didn't save any ammunition. This is not the instigating temper of Isamu Terauchi. Normally, he should have saved this batch of ammunition that should be consumed and then sold it to us.
The Eighth Route Army is the right one, there must be something fishy here!" Zhou Weihan said.
"But what's the trick? The Japanese army in Handan just opened up the connection with Licheng and Lucheng. This is a small benefit, is there anything else?" Xing Zhiguo meant that he did not think that the Japanese army would be able to establish a presence in Handan in the future.
The road is now open.
"I haven't thought of it yet, but the reason why I can follow Isamu Terauchi must have greater benefits!"